Today's temperature hovered around 90 degrees as I headed out for a trail walk in Holden Arboretum. Although most of the trees along the trail are still green, a few, like the beauty above, are definitely announcing the arrival of Autumn. Am I looking forward to cooler temperatures? You bet I am! Hands down, Autumn …
An abundance of pileated woodpeckers
For the past month, these Woody Woodpecker look-alikes have been regularly visiting the trees in our backyard. They're not nesting here, but every day, morning, noon, and night, they fly in, help themselves to the woodpecker blocks and suet cakes, and provide us with entertainment. Just look at this pair. I'm no woodpecker expert, but …
Backyard birds online again
Since early June I've been off the trail more than on it! Two months have passed in what has been a very busy summer, and I have chronicled very little of it. Shame on me! So to get started again, I am posting a few pictures from my backyard birding collection, starting with a few …
Nothing better than a walk in the woods!
Another overcast day, but even so, a walk in the woods is a good way to while away an hour or two, and a much better use of my time than lounging in an easy chair reading yesterday's news in the Plain Dealer (or today's news for that matter). Even though the dampness may turn …
Mabel’s Morning Walk
We woke up this morning and it wasn't raining...finally! So after breakfast, we put Mabel on her leash and drove to Chagrin River Park for a morning walk. The first stop was the deck overlooking the Chagrin River, just to see how high the water was after yesterday's rainfall. It wasn't flooding, but it was …
Correct me…
If I'm wrong, please correct me, but I'm guessing this is a male American Redstart. I found a hot-spot for migratory birds along the trail today, and this colorful bird was among the crowd. A later spring migrant in northeast Ohio, redstarts arrive around mid-May. It is a medium-sized bird with bright orange patches on …
Rainy days
Rain, rain, go away Come again some other day. Little Johnny wants to play. Running through my head repeatedly, that rhyme, remembered from my childhood, couldn't be more true to the way I feel about April...and now May! Little Johnny and Little Sally would like the rain to stop and the temperature to warm up …
Warblers have arrived
As you may be aware, this handsome red bird is not an unusual visitor to my blog. All birders in northeast Ohio, as well as many other states, are familiar with the Northern cardinals, which are year-round residents of this area. So while I was hoping to find some migratory warblers on my trail walk …
Three of a kind
I'm always surprised when the pileated woodpecker appears at the backyard feeder. His visits haven't been very regular since last fall when we had to cut down the tall tree he liked to land on when he flew in. After landing on the tall oak tree, he and his mate would often fly across our …
SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL 